Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought what better way to enjoy this classic was through audio. It's such an well known story of Captain Ahab going after the great white whale in an insanely obsessive way. Taking him, his ship and his crew to farthest reaches of the oceans around the globe to find his prey. Herman Melville writes in an colorful descriptive way of not only the main story line but also he also brings to life the toil and history of whaling up to his point in history. It is apparent Herman did a great deal of research both of whaling and of whales in general. Very little detail of whaling is spared in this book as he at times sidetracks to fill in details of how whales were hunted and how their precious oil was extracted. He was gifted and eloquent in his descriptions but sometimes so detailed it was hard to follow as your mind tries keep up with his words. Not only is it a great story it is also a great history book on whaling history. For those uninitiated to this book to be prepared for tedious descriptions at times. I'm not sure if it was just the style writing back then which seems long winded and grandiose. It is worth your time to listen or read though as it is a true classic.

P.S. I've also picked up the movie from my local library and I can't wait to watch. It's the one with Gregory Peck made in 1956.

View all my reviews